The present invention relates to a semiconductor unit having a semiconductor device that is to be electrically connected to a power source through a bus bar.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-202885 discloses a semiconductor unit which can be used for example as an electric power converter. The semiconductor unit has an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) as a semiconductor device and a diode. The collector of the IGBT and the bottom electrode of the diode are soldered to a block serving to release the heat generated by the IGBT and the diode and also to connect the bottom side of the IGBT to the bottom side of the diode. The emitter of the IGBT and the top electrode of the diode are connected by a lead.
There has been a demand for a semiconductor unit of a lower inductance in order to reduce the amount of heat generated during the operation of the unit. There also has been a demand for a semiconductor unit of a smaller size when the unit is used in an environment such as an automobile.
The present invention is directed to providing a semiconductor unit of a structure that allows reduced inductance and size.